Brewing is one of the industries that has been significantly impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic in 2020. The world expected the horror to fade away in 2021, but it took a more profound turn. Both macro and microbrewers were affected by the economic turbulence and uncertainty by the state-imposed shutdowns. Hence the beer sales dried up overnight. As a result, the brewing business faced several problems in the year 2020. However, bottled beer sales, particularly those intended for off-site consumption, were one saving grace that kept several brewers afloat during this horror. 2021 is now seeing the light of hope. After all the vaccine drives and campaigns, Bengaluru is now opening up to the crowd, and the care management of restaurants, breweries, bars, and pubs could be a challenge. Brewer World spoke to Lynette Pires, Lead Brewer, 7 Rivers Brewing Company about the hurdles brewers could face right now and Brewery Care Challenges. Below are the excerpts.

What, in your opinion, are some of the new challenges that the pandemic has brought about when it comes to operating breweries? How has 7 Rivers Brewing worked around them?

At 7Rivers Brewing Co, our top priority is the safety of our team and the safety of the beer. With the onset of the pandemic followed by the lockdown initiation, it would be folly to state that taking care of these two aspects has not been challenging. While there is always an air of uncertainty, I try not to focus too much on that as a lead brewer. Instead, we ensure a smooth process by regularly checking up on each other, assisting with medical care when we can, and, of course, routinely monitoring the tanks in the brewery to ensure the highest quality of beer. The limited implementation of Beer takeaway was new learning for us, but we were very proud to see how well the team came together and executed our takeaway packs. Beer sales at microbreweries have taken a hit, and we are eager to see if states like Karnataka will take a positive step forward and permanently introduce growler and beer takeaway/delivery once the lockdown ends.

Could you help shed some light on the current safety and sanitisation protocol that all breweries must follow in India?

As mentioned above, the safety of the team and the safety of beer is a top priority. During a lockdown, all Brewing and transfers are generally put on hold. However, constant monitoring is key; we ensure tank temperatures and pressure are monitored daily, and all utilities are stable and working fine to make sure there is no risk to the liquid. In addition, the beer profile is checked and maintained routinely while the brewery environment is kept clean and sanitary so that there is no risk of contamination to the beer.

What steps are taken by 7 Rivers Brewing for brewery care during the pandemic? 

Safety is an important priority for us at 7Rivers. In line with this, we follow all protocols as per local guidelines, including equipping our people with PPE kits that include face masks, face shields, and gloves and placing multiple sanitizer stations across the brewpub. We are also maintaining social distancing across the brewpub, including ensuring a reduction in overall capacity and consistently monitoring the temperature of associates and guests who enter 7Rivers and collect their contact details.

Last but not least, what is next in line for 7 Rivers Brewing Co.?

We have spent the lockdown brainstorming and innovating fun and unique ingredients and styles to introduce soon. Once the lockdown is lifted and we can safely re-open again, I am excited to get back to brewing some of those styles! As mentioned earlier, I am also eager to see if states like Karnataka will take a positive step forward and permanently introduce growler and beer takeaway/delivery once the lockdown ends.